Process of extracting soluble potassium salt from feldspar, &amp;c.



HENRY BLUMENIBERG, JR., OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO CHEMICAL cousravcrron COMPANY, camronum.

OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF PROCESS OF EXTRA CTING SOLUBLE POTASSIUM SALT FROM FELIDSPAR, &o.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern: Be'it known that I, HENRY BLUMENBERG,

' Jr,,-a citizen of the United States, residing :ficlase, lepidolite, and the like.

Var'ious processes have been known in the art for extracting potassium salts from feldspar and the like, but so far as I am aware, none of them have been a commercial success for the reason that the reagents used in, the process-are either too expensive or high temperatures are necessary to break up the feldspar to render the potassium salts available, or the final process of separation involves filtration and crystallization.

I have 'devised a process for extracting "potassium salts from feldspar and the like I which uses inexpensive reagents, avoids high temperatures, and produces a product in which the potassium salts are present as potassium sulfate, while the remainder of the mass is insoluble. The soluble potassium sulfate may be extracted from the mass by the simple process of leaching.

' In the production of potassium salts from feldspar and like materials, containing a relatively small percentage of insoluble potassium salts,'one of the greatest items of expense is in the transportation charges of the materials, such as feldspar and gypsum. At the present time, because of the abnormal market conditions, potassium salts sell for many times the price obtained during normal market conditions, and the extraction of potassium salts is profitable notwithstanding the high cost of production. There are few or no localities in which all the reagents necessary are at hand,-so that the cost of use of by-products whereby the cost of production reduced to a fraction" of the normal cost where feldspar, gypsum and sul- '-transporting'the materials is a large item of expense. V

I have devised a new process of extracting potassium salts from feldspar, availing myself of raw materials at hand, involving the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

. Application filed November 7, 1917. Serial No. 200,820.

furic acid are used. In place of the gypsum, I use calcium carbonate or limestone, which is often found near feldspar deposits;'- and in place of the sulfuric acid, I use acid sludge, which plays a double role in this process, first converting the calcium carbonate to calcium sulfate, then decomposing the feldspar, as hereinafter described.

My'invention consists in the steps of the process hereinafter described and, claimed:

I take three parts of feldspar, finely pulverized and passed through a 200 mesh screen, three parts of calcium carbonate, finely pulverized, ten parts of acid sludge. The latter is a Well known by-product of the mineral oil industry and contains from 30% to 60% of sulfuric acid. These ingredients are thoroughly mixed and form a thick, pasty mass. The mixture is heated in the presence of air for several hours at a temperature of 700 to 800 C., the sulfuric acid of the acid sludge reacting on the calcium carbonate liberating the carbon dioxid and forming calcium sulfate. As the heat is increased, the feldspar is decomposed, the remainder of the sulfuric acid combining with the aluminum of the feldspar to produce aluminum sulfate.

Care should be taken not to heat the mass I beyond the point of disassociation of the aluminum sulfate produced. It is also advisable to use an excess of air to pass over the heated mass so that the carbonaceous ma terial contained in the acid sludge will not reduce the sulfate YVhen aluminum sulfate has been produced, the temperature is raised beyond the disassociation point of the aluminum sulfate, liberating sulfur trioxid, requiring a temperature of about 800 to 1000 Cb At this temperature, the potassium in the feldspar, in the presence ofcalcium sulfate and hydrocarbon sludge forms potassium sulfate, while the aluminum combines with silica to form aluminum silicate. The mass is cooled and The advantage of using the acid sludge is in utilizing an inexpensive waste product produced to sulfids.

.using sulfate, or aeisl sulfates of called potash alum which u'zu which contains suliliurie i we described my process in conceous material, the letter 1 nape-r, it will he understood necessary heat units to carry o; that l which is superior to the use insoluble fate with feltls mr alone. the some .Another advantage Various, similar processes that acid sulfate of the alkali mm, reaction is effected with u s sulfuric acid. or sulfates: in t 1 or umlierizils containing salts may be treated in u the process may be 40 the art Without (avee'if my invention.

l A woos-:1 extracting )otsissium from 1 "J D 4 :57 my; m xing relclspm' arid. :mroonute with acid ozone in the presence of mi sulfate and an insolumetals, it is necessary to have at l'Qi three to our parts of the acid sulfate in portion to one pert of u: :feifies a complee realiictioi I am fully awa e iii feldspar, onlcluiu CdilUO ,g' potassium from is calcined only up i "ll material oohtjmmi iuselunle intassuuh 21g; :1 potassium (3021-. carbonate of an .id acid sludge, heat num potassium sullsalts, comprising mining materia 1 out and. ei' vst In my process, ti o oniy soluble sul" that .iup; the v .iresenoe of air to form is formed is potassium sul' us alumuiium a soluble p0. it and separating suul and calcium silicates are insoluble potassium sale he amiss.

en. my process will 25. .1 proces off k ng the po l ii wit, it

7 M Um "acting potassium from mixing-g feldspar and 60 (:bouate with mid runs is the presence 1 "ate and an iuuin mite ereot lliLYG signed. my

ti on ties be useful in ei'tlme E11:

sulfate or the potash at i i solely upon the mzimuule'ti I As will be readily se i spec:

JNEERG, JR. 

